Chelsea have officially opened talks with 2012 Champions League semi-final hero, Ramires, about extending his current contract with the Blues.
Ramires proved to be vital in Di Matteo’s quest for the ‘big-eared trophy’ as he soon became the man of the hour due to his crucial chip at the Camp Nou against Barcelona that helped Chelsea gain the momentum needed to score another goal with only 10 men in order to secure their passage to the final against heavy-favourites: Bayern Munich.
In March 5th of 2012 Ramires signed a new five-year deal, which he soon proved to be worthy of in the games against Barcelona at the Camp Nou and against Liverpool at Wembley, which now leaves him with two years left on his current contract.
Now after making 202 appearances and netting 22 goals he is set to sign a new four to five-year deal which will also see the box-to-box midfielder receive a pay-bump(no fixed numbers yet), but the question is: does Ramires, now 28, deserve a contract extension that will keep him at the Bridge until he is 32 or 33?
Well you can decide that, but first here are some of Ramires’ most notable achievements while at Chelsea
After joining in 2010 from Benfica, Ramires soon made a huge impact into the Chelsea side and even managed to win the Chelsea Goal of the Season award for his wonder-strike against Manchester City.
The following season he helped put Chelsea into the UCL final and was crucial in RDM’s bid for success in the FA Cup by scoring the opener in the final at Wembley against Liverpool. He also managed to win the Chelsea Player’s Player of the Year award and he retained the Goal of the Season award for his exquisite chip against Barcelona.
In the 2012-13 campaign Ramires reminded the fans his importance by helping his side win the Europa League and by making 62 out of a possible 69 appearances for the then manager, Rafa Benitez.
In Mourinho’s first season back at Chelsea the Portuguese soon declared his love for the hard-working Brazilian by making him part of the defensive midfield pairing alongside either David Luiz, Frank Lampard, Jon Obi Mikel, and later on Nemanja Matic.
This past season Ramires also managed to work some of his goalscoring magic, but sadly a few injuries and the arrival of Cesc Fabregas limited his play time. He managed to play a part in both Chelsea’s Capital One Cup and Premier League success.
His experience, endurance, and versatility make him the perfect squad player for Mourinho’s evolving squad and in the end the quick midfielder does merit a contract extension for Roman Abramovich’s London club.
Stats and other miscellanea gathered from SB Nation, Chelsea FC Official Website, and Whoscored.com
